How to Capitalize Letters in Google Sheets by Formula or Shortcuts

by Yaron Elharar ( @YaronElharar )

Updated September 19, 2026 · First version published November 20, 2021

Google Sheets can change capitalization, but it has no built-in Change Case command and no published keyboard shortcut that uppercases, lowercases, or title-cases selected cells. Google Docs does have Format → Text → Capitalization. Sheets does not.

These are the current options:

1. Built-in formulas: UPPER, LOWER, and PROPER
2. A bound Apps Script that adds a custom menu, and optionally a spreadsheet macro shortcut
3. AnyCase third-party Windows shortcuts for in-place conversion

You do not need third-party software for a keyboard shortcut. Sheets macros can run an Apps Script function with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Number. That shortcut belongs to that spreadsheet. AnyCase is different: it is a Windows utility with global shortcuts that work in Sheets and other programs.

If the text is not in a sheet, or you only need to convert a snippet once, use the free case converter.

Capitalize Letters In Google Sheets Using A Formula

Google still documents three case functions. UPPER converts text to uppercase, LOWER to lowercase, and PROPER capitalizes each word and lowercases the remaining letters.

PROPER is a mechanical rule, not editorial title case. Names such as “McLeod” can become “Mcleod”, and acronyms can lose their intended capitals.

A formula returns its result in the cell where you enter it. It does not rewrite the source cells in place. To replace the original values, copy the results and use Paste values only (Ctrl+Shift+V).

To convert a literal string in the current cell:

=UPPER("Text to uppercase")

To convert another cell, enter the formula in an empty cell and point it at the source. This example uppercases B2:

=UPPER(B2)

The same pattern works with =LOWER(B2) and =PROPER(B2). To convert a range, wrap the function in ARRAYFORMULA:

=ArrayFormula(UPPER(B1:B55))

That expands the result across the matching rows or columns, so you still need empty cells for the output. After the values look right, copy them and paste values only over the original range if you want static replacements.

Use A Script To Change Case

A bound Apps Script project can add a custom menu, such as “Case changer”, so you can select a range and convert it from the Sheets menu. Google still supports custom menus through onOpen().

If you are comfortable in the script editor:

1. Choose Extensions → Apps Script.
2. A new editor window will open. Get a case-conversion script from this forum post.
3. If the editor only has the default stub, replace it with that script. If the spreadsheet already has a script, merge the new functions instead of overwriting the whole project.
4. Save the script and return to the spreadsheet.
5. Reload the spreadsheet.
6. A new menu item should appear, typically to the right of Help, called “Case changer”. Select a range and use one of the options inside.

A script asks for authorization when the services or OAuth scopes it uses require it. Google derives those scopes from the script. You may see a permission prompt the first time you run it. An “unverified app” warning is not automatic; it depends on the scopes requested and whether the project is verified. Read the permissions Google lists before you continue.

Workspace add-ons are a separate path. They request specific permissions for the features they provide. Google shows those scopes before installation, and many apps let you review them. It is not accurate to say every add-on simply “requires your personal information.”

Assign a Sheets-native macro shortcut

After you have an Apps Script function that changes case, you can import it as a Google Sheets macro and assign a shortcut. Google’s macro shortcuts use the Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Number format and stay associated with that spreadsheet. They are a native option when you want a keyboard command without installing extra software.

A one-off conversion or an in-place Windows shortcut

One-off paste, not an in-place Sheets command: use the free case converter. If you change case often in Sheets or other Windows programs, download AnyCase for Windows for global shortcuts that convert selected cells where they are.

Using AnyCase Third-Party Keyboard Shortcuts

Sheets still has no published shortcut whose job is “uppercase selected cells.” The Win+Alt keys below belong to AnyCase, not to Google Sheets. Install AnyCase first; without it, those combinations do nothing in Sheets.

The free version is unlimited to use, with a short delay between conversions. AnyCase Pro is $24 per year and removes that delay. It includes three stations.

AnyCase is a Windows program, not a Google Workspace add-on, so it does not go through Google’s Marketplace or Apps Script permission flow. It still collects product and site data as described in the AnyCase privacy policy. That is a different model from a script or add-on that requests Google file scopes.

• Conversions happen in place, so you do not need a helper column the way UPPER does.
• The shortcuts are Windows-global, so the same keys work in Sheets and other programs.
• You can change the default keys in AnyCase settings.

To enable the shortcuts:

1. Download AnyCase.
2. Install it as you would any other Windows program.
3. Select the cells or text you want to convert, then use one of the shortcuts below.

AnyCase shortcuts that work in Google Sheets

These are the default AnyCase shortcuts. You can change them in AnyCase settings.

Final Thoughts

To change case in Google Sheets you have three practical options: UPPER, LOWER, and PROPER in another cell or range; a bound Apps Script menu, with an optional Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Number macro; or AnyCase if you want a Windows-global in-place shortcut. Formulas, scripts, and macros stay inside Sheets. The Win+Alt keys are AnyCase, not a hidden Sheets command. For a one-off paste, use the free case converter.